The economic calendar and how to read it

The economic calendar is a schedule of data releases and events. It is the simplest tool in fundamental analysis and the most practically useful for a short-term trader.

Its columns

• Time — in your local time zone.
• Country — the currency directly affected.
• Event — the name of the release.
• Impact — low, medium or high.
• Actual — the number released.
• Forecast — the analysts’ consensus.
• Previous — the prior period’s reading.